$14,000,000 on bike paths, trails and sidewalks?
I know people that are in true despair, and this is what we the citizens get!

How much longer are people going to put up with this nonsense?

Does anybody know even one person who will get a job out of this?

Who's getting the money anyway?

Portland city government by any chance?

So in other words this 'stimulus' helps nobody!

Does anybody have any questions why this country is going down the tubes?

Look at what they are doing!

You know, there is a link you can click on, that answers many of those questions.

1) This isn't "stimulus" money. This is an annual appropriation specifically targeted at discretionary transportation funding (that's why it's called Regional Flexible Funds).

2) Lots of people will get jobs. In fact using the standard formula ($1 million = 14 jobs), it's 196 jobs. Whether that assumption is valid is another topic entirely.

3) Portland receives some money. So do counties and other municipalities. You were expecting someone other than government entities to receive transportation capital?

It's government money, I don't care what you call it or what pot it comes out of. Our taxes at work.

Lovely, we got more work for the government employees, who already have work.

I wonder just how many citizens of this fine city will actually find these bike paths do them any good at all!

I'll bet you that its less than 1%.

Hey, you called it a stimulus, I was just responding to that.

If you think only government employees perform trail construction and pavement/road maintenance work, you're wrong. And there will be people building that bike boulevard who haven't been on a bike for 20 years. I can just see the guy operating the steam roller used to repave the Springwater Trail hopping on his Trek after work and heading to the Lucky Lab. Uh-huh.

What percentage of the population has to use something to justify public investment? 10%? 25%? Based on that logic, we might as well close the public library and the 911 call center.

Interesting that you should mention the 911 emergency call center because from what I understand they are indeed cutting it!

So in your estimation the bike path is more important than the 911 call center?

Apparently our civic leaders agree with you.

Call it anything, it's still nonsensicle and a reckless disregard for priorities.

Who needs roads and the stinking commerce, family wage jobs and increased standard of living that they bring when we can have bike paths and ped trails!

You are celebrating making people less well off. Give me a break!

Thanks
JK

Flexible funds represent about 4% of total annual transportation funding in the region. The other 96% is split evenly between roads and transit, so roads are getting 48% of our transportation dollars plus half of the RFF or 50%. Relax you road hogs.

Oh b h, if I had known who you are, I wouldn't have bothered.

You took 2 minutes of my life and I want them back :-)

Now the bicyclists and AIG have something in common. Both received stimulus bailout dollars. However AIG is supposed to pay at least some of the money back. A number of the executives have also decided to do the right thing and give their bonuses back. As for the bicyclists, they just want more welfare payments with no amount of bailout dollars enough to amass their self-centered agenda while at the same time refusing to pay for any portion of the infrastructure they use with a bicycle tax or registration fee like motorists do. That places both AIG executives and motorists a cut above bicyclists. .

Grant -

Actually, "b h" is probably not who you think it is, it's not the obvious conclusion which you might draw from solely looking at just this thread. So go ahead and bother if you want. :-)

It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is ideas, thoughts, concepts, which is what makes the blog world possess the value that is does possess.

No other media in the history of the world has done what the blogs are doing, people exchanging ideas freely and openly.

The only reason someone might need to hide identity is that their ideas may present a threat to existing institutional structures and/or people and that presents problems for the individual.

People are capable of all sorts of evils, I don't think anyone needs any examples to prove that point.

Hey, bikelanes are for motorists...they get us bikers out of the motor vehicle travel lane.

"refusing to pay for any portion of the infrastructure they use with a bicycle tax or registration fee like motorists do"

Terry - you're saying that all road infrastructure is paid for by vehicle registration fees? Last I checked, I paid my property taxes. I believe that counts for at least some portion of road infrastructure funds.

This is great news!

Finally we are seeing some real human-scale priorities that will foster healthier more sustainable communities for generations

Meanwhile, bus riders (which comprise of two-thirds of Portland's transit ridership) got the shaft, as usual.

Yes, Thank You, Metro. For turning a blind eye to the majority of people who are riding transit, just so you can go shoot another photo op.

G - Property taxes DO NOT pay for roads. Vehicle registration fees and motorist paid fuel taxes do.

"Property taxes DO NOT pay for roads. Vehicle registration fees and motorist paid fuel taxes do."

Even if it were true, your assumption is that cyclists never ever drive, and therefore never pay vehicle reg fees or fuel tax. That just isn't true.

“Even if it were true, your assumption is that cyclists never ever drive, and therefore never pay vehicle reg fees or fuel tax. That just isn't true.”

So G, what you are saying is that when not only bicyclists drive, but also when anybody else drives, their vehicle registration fees and fuel taxes completely pay for their use of the road while driving and there is enough left over to fund bicycle infrastructure too. That would mean instead of all the babble to increase vehicle registration fees and the gas tax, the taxes and fees motorists pay are much too high and need to be reduced – because it can not be both ways.

In other words, if drivers were not charged enough to pay for the roads (as some bicyclists suggest), there wouldn’t be any money left over to subsidize other transport mode infrastructure.